Door-actuating mechanism for general-service cars.



W. E. MOREY.

DOOR ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR GENERAL SERVICE CARS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1913.

1 1 22,978. Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEBT 1.

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W. E. MOREY. DOOR ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR GENERAL SERVICE CARS. APPLICATION FILED HAYS, 1913.

l, 1 22,978. Patented Dec, 29 19M 7 j Q 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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1 1 22,97. Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

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1, showing Fig. 6.

I "in WILLIAM E. MOBEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR. T0 NATIONAL DUMP GAB COM- PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

DOOR-ACTUATING MECHANISM FOB. GENERAL-SERVICE CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

Application filed May 5, 1913. Serial No. 765,604..

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, 'TILLIAM E. MoRnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Actuating Mechanism for General-Service Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in general to freight cars, and more particularly to door actuating mechanism for freight cars of the type known as general service cars.

The practicability of general service cars depends largely upon the efficiency of the mechanism for operating the drop doors which form the principal part of the car floor. It is essential that the operating mechanism should tightly close the doors to prevent leakage of the lading; should securely support the doors in closed position so as to avoid accidental dumping of the lading; and should permit the dropping of the doors to discharge the 'lading. It is further essential that the door operating mechanism should be strong and durable in construction and at the same time simple in operation.

T he object of my invention is to provide an improved operating mechanism for the drop doors of freight cars, which will possess the desirable characteristics above referred to.

My invention will be more fully disclosed hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same is illustrated as embodied in a convenient and practical form, and in which Figure l is a side elevational view of a portion of one end of a freight car, parts thereof being broken away; Fig. 2, an end elevational view looking from the right in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an enlarged cross sectional view showing a door in open position; Fig. 4, a detail view showing the door in the position to which it is raised by the winding of the chains on the shaft; Fig. 5, a view similar to Fig. 4c, showing the door completely closed; Fig. 6, a view similar to Fig. 3, showing a slightly modified form of my invention, the door being shown in closed position; and Fig. 7, a view similar to Fig. the modification ill st ate in The same reference haracte are :used

to designate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Reference letter A indicates the center sill, which may be of any suitable construction, such, for instance, as of the box girder type.

B indicates the front sill of the car, and C one of the cross bearers or transverse members of the underframe.

D designates one of the end walls of the car, and E one of the side walls.

F indicates one of the drop doors which is pivotally supported by hinges G upon the center sill. The door F is adapted to be swung upwardly about its inner edge into a closed position flush with the plane of the floor of the car, or to be swung downwardly, to the position shown in Fig. 3.

H. designates a fixed floor strip which overlies the transverse under-frame member C and projects on the opposite sides thereof so as to form stops against which the adjacent side edges of the adjacent doors engage when closed.

A car of the construction above described is one well-known and does not in itself embody my invention, but is merely illustrated and described in order that the construction and operation of my improved door actuating mechanism may be fully disclosed.

It will be obvious that my invention may be applied to cars of other specific constructions than that above described.

The transverse members of the underframe are preferably formed of pressed steel and comprise a vertical diaphragm around the edges of which is formed a laterally projecting flange. Elongated slots K are formed through the outer ends of the transverse members of the underframe substantially beneath the car sides.

L designates a bodily movable shaft extending through the elongated slots K in corresponding ends of a predetermined number of the transverse members of the underframe. T he end of the shaft L which projects through the end sill B is rectangular in cross section-as shown at Z-in order that a lever may be applied thereto to rotate the shaft. A ratchet M is fixed to the end of the shaft beyond the end sill and cooperates with a pawl m to retain the shaft L in the positions to which it maybe moved. In order to elfect the bodily movement of the shaft L when it is rotated, a toothed wheel N is non-rotatably mounted thereon, adjacent the diaphragm of each transverse under-frame member C, which engages with laterally projecting studs 0 carried by a plate 0 rigidly secured to the end of each transverse member beneath the opening K therethrough. The toothed wheel N may be conveniently formed on a sleeve n having an angular opening therethrough corresponding to the angular cross section of the shaft L which it surrounds.

P designates a second longitudinal shaft rotatably supported upon the ends of the transverse members of the underframe in any suitable manner, as by means of bearing plates Q overlying the shaft and secured to the upper flange of the underlying cross member. The end of the shaft P which projects beyond the end sill B is made rectangular in cross section, as shown at 7), to which a lever may be applied to rotate the shaft.

R designates a ratchet wheel fixed to the end of the shaft P which is engaged by a pawl r to retain the shaft in any position to which it may be rotated. Chains S are secured to the shaft P and to the drop doors F adjacent their swinging edges.

.9 designates eye-bolts through the medium of which the chains S are secured to the doors. The eye-bolt s is adjustably connected with a bracket T secured in any suitable manner beneath the door F, as, for instance, to the lower horizontal flange of the longitudinal Z-beam F which is secured at each side of the door to impart the requisite rig dity thereto.

Pivotally mounted upon and depending from the shaft P are door supporting latches U, one of such latches being located opposite each side edge of each of the doors F. The lower ends of the latches U extend into the path of lateral movement of the shaft L and are adapted to be engaged by the adjacent portion of the sleeve '11. on the shaft L.

The operation of my improved door actuating mechanism is as follows: \Vhen the doors are in the open position shown in Fig. 3 and it is desired to close the same, the shaft P is rotated in a direction to wind the chains S thereon. After the doors have been substantially closed the shaft L is rotated in a direction to effect its movement within the slots It. from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 5, such movement of the shaft being caused by the engagement of the toothed wheel N with the studs 0. A bodily movement of the shaft L oscillates the latches U through the engagement of the sleeve n with them so that they underlie the outer edges of the doors, as shown in Fig. 5, and thereby securely support the doors in closed position, owing to the direct and positive support of the latches upon the underlying shaft L. The latches U preferably are located in alinement with the reinforcing Z-beams F beneath the sides of the doors. When it is desired to discharge the lading, the pawl r is first disengaged from the ratchet wheel R, after which the pawl m is disengaged from the ratchet wheel M and the shaft L rotated in a direction to bodily move the same from the position shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. 4. This bodily movement of the shaft/L permits the latches U to swing downwardly and to thereby release the doors so that they drop by gravity into the open position shown in Fig. 3.

In lieu of supporting the latches U directly upon the chain winding shaft P, depending brackets V and V may be secured to the inwardly inclined bottom portion 6 of the car side E, as shown in Figs. 6 and .7. A rod o extends through and is supported by the lower ends of the brackets V and V and also extends through and is supported by the portion of the transverse member C intermediate of said brackets. The door supporting latches U and U are ivotally mounted upon the rod 1) intermediate of the lower ends of the brackets V, V and the interposed portion of the cross member C. The operation of this modified form of my invention is the same as that abovedescribed in connection with my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive.

From the foregoing description, it will be observed that I have invented an improved door actuating mechanism for the drop doors of freight cars, particularly of the general service type, which will positively insure the doors being tightly closed and positively retained in closed position, thereby avoiding any danger of leakage of the lading and also any liability of the doors to accidentally drop open and discharge the lading during the transit of the car.

It will be further observed that my improved door actuating mechanism is strong and durable in construction and is so simple in operation as to be within the comprehension of the unskilled laborers who are em loyed to unload freight cars.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In a freight car, the combination with a plurality of drop doors in the floor thereof, of means for raising and lowering said doors, door supporting members movable into and out of door supporting position, a bodily movable shaft extending adjacent said door supporting members, pinions non-rotatably secured to said shaft, and stationary racks engaged by said pinions, whereby the rotation of said shaft effects the bodily move ment thereof relatively to said door supporting members.

2. In a freight car, the combination with a plurality of drop doors in the floor thereof, of a rotary shaft, chains connecting said shaft and doors to effect the closing of the doors when the shaft is rotated, pivoted door supporting latches movable into and out of door supporting position, a bodily movable shaft extending adjacent said door supporting latches, pinions non-rotatably secured to said shaft, and stationary racks engaged by said pinions to impart a lateral bodily movement to said shaft relatively to said latches to move them into door supporting position and to underlie them in said position.

3. In a freight car, the combination with an underframe comprising longitudinal and transverse members, of a plurality of drop doors in the floor thereof, a rotary shaft extending transversely of the path of movement of said doors, chains operatively connecting said shaft and doors to effect the closing of the doors when the chains are wound on the shaft, pivoted door supporting latches depending below the plane of the doors when closed, a bodily movable shaft extending through and supported by the members of the underframe adjacent the depending ends of said latches, and means for moving said shaft relatively to said latches to swing them into door supporting position to underlie them in said position.

4:. In a freight car, the combination with an underframe comprising longitudinal and transverse members, of a plurality of drop doors in the floor thereof, a rotary shaft extending transversely of the path of movement of said doors, chains operatively connecting said shaft and doors to effect the closing of the doors when the chains are wound on the shaft, pivoted door supporting latches depending below the plane of the doors when closed, a bodily movable shaft extending through and supported by the members of the underframe adjacent the depending ends of said latches, pinions nonrotatably secured to said shaft, and stationary racks engaged by said pinions and secured to the underframe members adjacent the path of movement of said bodily movable shaft to effect a bodily movement of said shaft relatively to said latches.

In testimony whereof I have subscribed my name.

WILLIAM E. MOREY. Witnesses:

HENRY A. PARKS, ANNA L. WALTON.

Copies of this pa ent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

